Return to Augie Hobble

One of my favorite books I remember getting from a grandparent when I was just learning to read was T he Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales by Jon Scieszka, illustrated by Lane Smith. I still have it and it's still one of my favorites.  Having been a life long fan of Lane Smith it's no shocker that I still adore his picture books and am glad to see that he's received plenty of recognition for his fantastic body of work, as author/illustrator and illustrator.

I was especially excited for his new and first novel, Return to Augie Hobble. I devoured this book, reading it in a total of three sittings over the course of twelve hours. The seamless blending of myth, fairy tale and reality through poignant text and interactive images brought me right back to my first readings of Stinky Cheese Man. 

It's summer, school is out. A nd yet Augie Hobble has to work on a project for his Creative Arts class, a project that he failed the first time around. Balancing work at his father's fairy tale themed amusement park, spending time with his best friend, Britt, and trying to finish his make-up project is no easy task. Throw in mysterious pet disappearances, clairvoyance, lycanthropy, messages from the beyond as well as government agents poking about and you've got one hot season.

Augie Hobble is a triumphant debut and will definitely leave parents and children alike eager for more from Lane Smith.